EG police lieutenant convicted of assault

EAST GREENWICH — An East Greenwich police lieutenant who was arrested for using excessive force on a prisoner received his punishment last week.

According to previously published reports, Lt. Paul Nahrgang, 44, was found guilty last Tuesday for assaulting a prisoner inside the East Greenwich Police Station on First Avenue back on May 22. The Kent County District Court, according to the reports, will have the verdict against Nahrgang filed for one year, at which time the East Greenwich police lieutenant can have it removed.
The reports also stated Nahrgang must owe court costs and attend anger management counseling as part of his sentence. Nahrgang was found not guilty for disorderly conduct last Tuesday.
Police Chief and Interim Town Manager Thomas Coyle stated that EGPD has policies and procedures in place for officer protocol. On a regular basis, Coyle says the captain of the department comes out to the supervisors for all three shifts asking them to review the policies and the captain sets up a quiz, so that everything is documented for each supervisor.
Coyle also stated the department does in-service training throughout the year on many elements pertaining to the duties of a police officer, including use of force, to keep the department on track on a regular basis.
“We just keep doing training as we implement it throughout the year,” Coyle said Monday evening prior to the Town Council meeting at Town Hall. “We’re constantly doing updated training.”
As originally reported in The Pendulum back in July, the arrest of Nahrgang was the result of an investigation by members of the State Police
Major Crimes Unit of an incident that transpired at the police station on First Avenue back on May 22.
At the conclusion of the investigation, the State Police allege that Lt. Nahrgang, according to the press release from the State Police, used excessive force and assaulted a 44-year-old male while he was in police custody.
The victim, according to the release, was arrested earlier in the evening and was charged with malicious mischief.
According to published reports, Coyle, after seeing the video of the incident, immediately contacted State Police for further assistance.
Nahrgang, not long after State Police obtained a warrant for his arrest, turned himself in at the State Police Headquarters in North Scituate and was subsequently arraigned.
As far as what the future holds for Nahrgang with the East Greenwich Police Department or what the next step will be for the lieutenant in his legal proceedings, Coyle wouldn’t offer comment.